Relationship Between makers and Suppliers in Fashion and Apparel Industry

Detection, Nurture, and Selection of Supplier’s Capabilities

Abstract

Japanese fashion and apparel industry have been declining. A lot of small manufacturers have difficulties both to catch and deal with the trend quickly and to maintain production capabilities with other small manufacturers. It is problems not only of small manufacturers but also of designers to secure production capabilities because competent small manufacturers are necessary for designers to produce clothes they picture. Therefore, from the perspective of enhancing product development performance and creativity of the industry, to secure production capabilities is rather important. In both cases we describe, designers detect and nurture suppliers’ capabilities which suppliers themselves are not aware of. Based on these cases, we propose the supplier system that makers detect and nurture a handful of suppliers’ capabilities, which is different form the supplier system that makers select suppliers’ capabilities from a lot of suppliers.